Chapter 120: Preparations
Mo Hua went to ask Mister Zhuang about teaching formations to others.
Mister Zhuang didn't mind. "What I taught you, you may teach others, as long as you're willing."
Mo Hua was overjoyed. "Thank you, teacher!"
Mister Zhuang ate his meat, drank his wine, looking content. Then he asked curiously,
"Teaching others… there's no real benefit for you, is there? Aren't you afraid it'll be troublesome?"
"Instructor Yan once told me that the Dao of Formations is like water, only by passing it on can it flow endlessly."
Mister Zhuang looked slightly surprised.
Mo Hua gazed at him and continued, "You taught me formations, that's inheritance. Though I'm shallow in knowledge and limited in skill, within my ability I also wish to pass these formations on. Only that way can I live up to your guidance and allow the Dao of Formations to endure through time."
"Endure through time, hmm…"
Mister Zhuang's slender fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of his bamboo chair. "Even if it endures through time, what difference does it make?"
Mo Hua frowned slightly, thought for a moment, then slowly said:
"Formations are the manifestation of the Heavenly Dao's laws. To learn formations is to comprehend the Dao; to draw formations is to practice the Dao; and to teach formations is to inherit the Dao. Cultivators seek the Dao and pursue immortality, if formations flow endlessly, it means the Heavenly Dao itself flows endlessly."
Mister Zhuang's eyes brightened slightly. He nodded. "Well said. The Dao gives birth to all things, and through the Dao, all things transform."
Then he looked deeply at Mo Hua. "No matter what happens in the future, don't forget your original heart."
"Yes, teacher!"
After Mo Hua left, Mister Zhuang lay back in his bamboo chair and lifted his right hand, gazing at his palm.
Now his hand was empty, no spiritual power, unable to draw formations, holding nothing but emptiness.
"Inheritance, huh…"
His gaze turned distant, tinged with bitterness.
...
Since Mister Zhuang allowed him to teach formations, Mo Hua finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Zhou'er was still young. If he could learn a few formation techniques—simple ones even—he could at least make a living in the future.
Mo Hua continued preparing for his trip into Black Mountain.
He had learned how to make traps and understood the principles behind setting them.
In the following days, using what little spiritual ink he had left, Mo Hua drew five Earthfire Arrays, along with several miscellaneous small formations that might prove useful in emergencies.
He also, by subtly probing, learned from Mo Shan about the rules and taboos of the outer region of Black Mountain, as well as the general process and methods that demon hunters used to hunt beasts.
Once everything was ready, Mo Hua went to find Dà Hu and his two brothers.
The three had gradually shed their youthful immaturity, they looked steadier now, though their faces still carried traces of youth.
They had entered Black Mountain, suffered injuries, shed blood, and even quietly wept. But by now, they had grown accustomed to the life of demon hunters. Though they couldn't yet take charge on their own, they were at least helpful to the hunting teams, and could earn a few spirit stones from each hunt.
Yet those few spirit stones were still a drop in the bucket against their harsh lives.
The three had just returned from a hunt, resting for a few days before heading back into the mountain.
When Mo Hua came to see them, they were delighted.
"I've got something to discuss with you guys."
Mo Hua chewed on a sweet-and-sour wild fruit given by Aunt Meng, puffing his cheeks as he spoke.
The three looked confused. "What's up?"
"I'm going into Black Mountain too!" Mo Hua said.
All three were dumbstruck, their heads shaking like rattles.
"No way! Absolutely not!"
Dà Hu said, "It's too dangerous in there, you can't go!"
"Yeah, you're only at Qi-Refining Fifth Layer, you can't!"
"You're not a body cultivator either, what if you get hurt?" Xiao Hu added worriedly.
"Right, you're frail, you can't get injured!"
Dà Hu glanced down at the bloodied scar on his own chest, then at Mo Hua's thin frame.
He could endure an injury, but if Mo Hua took even one hit from a beast, he'd probably die on the spot.
The more Dà Hu thought about it, the more terrified he felt, his tone growing firm. "You can't go!"
Mo Hua scratched his head. "It's fine, really. Don't worry."
Shuāng Hu frowned. "Why are you going into Black Mountain?"
"To hunt demons, of course!"
The three nearly jumped out of their seats, refusing even harder.
"If you don't let me go, I'll sneak in on my own. That'd be even more dangerous, wouldn't it?" Mo Hua said.
Of course, he was only saying that. Going alone into such a perilous place was practically suicide.
The three brothers hesitated, torn.
"You guys became demon hunters, but you're still not earning much spirit stones, are you?" Mo Hua asked casually.
They didn't want to admit it, but still nodded.
They had only recently adapted to the job and could only assist others. Their share of spirit stones wasn't much.
Mo Hua said, "I have a way to kill beasts, but I'll need your help."
"What way?" Xiao Hu asked skeptically.
"Formations!"
"I'll set up an array to lure the beast in, once it's caught, the explosion will wound it heavily. Then you three just finish it off."
"But…" Dà Hu still looked uneasy.
"I'll only be setting up the arrays and hiding nearby. Once the beast is injured, you finish it off. I won't be in danger," Mo Hua reasoned.
"Can your formations really injure a beast?"
"Trust me. I'll set up several at once, if it doesn't die, it'll still be crippled."
He had originally prepared these to deal with Qian Xing, but since that fool went mad out of fear, they'd serve nicely against beasts instead.
The three exchanged glances. They trusted Mo Hua's formations, but were still wary.
"Don't you want Aunt Meng to live a better life?" Mo Hua asked softly.
Silence fell. Of course they did.
Aunt Meng had endured so much hardship to raise them, sometimes crying alone, not wanting her children to see.
The three lowered their heads, eyes slightly red.
Mo Hua sighed, patting their shoulders. "Don't worry, I never do things I'm not confident about."
Xiao Hu hesitated. "Are you really sure?"
"Tomorrow or the day after, we'll go to the outer mountain first. We'll find a weaker beast and test it. If it works, great. If not, we can still escape."
"We can escape, but can you?" Shuāng Hu asked tactfully.
Mo Hua grinned. "I learned a movement technique. Don't worry, no beast can catch me."
"What technique?"
"The one who taught me told me not to say the name."
"Who taught you?"
"Some kind, nameless uncle who passed by." Mo Hua replied with perfect seriousness.
Dà Hu gave him a skeptical look. "You sure he wasn't a swindler?"
"How could he be? It's a powerful technique!"
The three looked at each other, then finally relented.
"All right, we'll take you to the outer mountain. But only once. If anything goes wrong, you run, got it?"
Mo Hua nodded quickly. "Don't worry, my life's mine, I won't lose it."
Two days later, at dawn, Mo Hua met the three brothers outside Tōngxiān City.
Together, they set off toward the demon-infested depths of Black Mountain.
(End of Chapter)